Improvement in reversible rotary engines



3 Sheets--Sheet 3. WILLIAM H. WARD.

in ReversibIe Rotary-Engines.

N5, 1263355 ,5 PatentedApril30,l872.

' QZFW mvzu-ronz PATENT QFFICE.

WILLIAM HENRY WARD, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN REVERSIBLE ROTARY ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 126,355, dated April30, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LWILLIAM HENRYWARD, of Auburn, in the county of Cayugaand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Reversible Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification:

My invention consists of means in a rotary engine in which the steam isused forcibly and expansively, whereby the rubbing or wearing joints ofthe rotator, resisters, and case are never separated while working, thusfurnishing a smooth-working rotary engine without having any hardcolliding parts whatever also, of a peculiar reversing arrangement, bymeans of which the engine can be reversed at pleasure any distance fromthe engine, if suitable connections are provided; further, in theconstruction of the mechanical means whereby the said results areaccomplished.

In the accompanying drawing, Sheet I-Figure 1 is a vertical centralsection of the cylinder of my improved engine with its valves andvalve-seats, the framework supporting it not being shown. Fig. 1 is aface view of one of the valves in its seat. Fig. 2 is an end elevationof the engine, the frame-work on which it rests being removed.

Sheet II-Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same, and Fig. 4 anopposite-end view, parts of the feed and reversing arrangement beingremoved.

Sheet III-Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same, all parts being in properposition, the frame on which it rests being removed. Figs. 6, 7,8,9, 10,11, 12, 13, 14 are detached, sectional, and other views of parts of theengine.

The usual caseArests on oris suspended from suitable frames orpositions, and the rotator B moves on a shaft, 0, which has its bearingsin suitable boxes on the frame. This rotator has a less diameter thanthe inside of the casing A except at two points, B B, forming wings, atwhich it comes in rubbing contact with the inner periphery of the case,and at which it has sufficient surface parallel with the said innerperiphery to allow of two packings, 19 10, one at each point,to move inand out from the wings in such manner as to compensate for anyunevenness in their manufacture or wear of the inner periphery of thecase. The in-. clined non-rubbing surfaces of the wings B form atangential line to balance the circumference of the rotator. Thepackings shown in Figs. 6, 7, 11, and 12 are made T-shaped, their lowerparts 0 being provided with slots, through which pins q pass, to allowof an up-and-down movement of the packings without the possibility ofleaving their seats entirely. On each side of each wing a small opening,1*, leads directly under the shoulder of said packing 10, through whichsteam enters to force the packing against the inner periphery of thecase, forming a working compensating steam-joint. The packings p 0 havetongued ends, which slidein loose grooved upright pieces t, on which thesteam acts endwise so as to make the pack ing perfectly tight not onlyon its outer rubbing-surface, but also at its ends. 8 are packing-rings, situated between the outer periphery of the rotator, the innerface of the heads of the casing, and the stuffing-boxes Q and slidingpieces t. These rings are applied in pairs, both having an inclined orwedge-shaped under side corresponding with a similar incline formed atthat point on the outer surface of the rotator, so that the expansion ofthe rings occasioned by heat and wear is compensated for by these ringsbeing forced on that incline, and thus wedge themselves perfectly tightbetween said incline and the inner face of the heads, adaptingthemselves to the wear of the machine, and so keeping the jointsperfectly steam-tight in consequence of said inclined surfaces, and ofthe rings being cut, respectively, and provided with suitable yarnrecesses. At opposite sides of the casing A are formed the inletports 11and h, which, by means of a channel, w, connect with the sliding valvedin the steambox D. These ports on the inside are covered by resistersa, which are pivoted at a; as on each side of the outlet-port F, whichare disconnected from the channel w by the reversing-valves c 0. Theseresisters fold back into suitable recesses in the casing so as to beentirely out of the way of the wings B of the rotator when those arefolded back which are not in operation, and their outer faces arebeveled to conform to the periphery of the rotator so as to be heldagainst the same by the pressure of the steam, and also divide theincoming from the outgoing steam in such manner as to obviate all backpressure. The resisters are secured on shafts, which pass outwardlythrough suitable stuffing-boxes 'v, and on which are coiled springs It,one end of which is secured to the stuffing-boxes, while the free endsbear against the outer ends of crank-arms k, which are also secured tothe shafts of the resisters a so as to exert a force on the same, whichtends to keep the resisters extended toward the periphery of therotator. It will be readily understood that always two of the resistersare in operation, one at each side, and always those which are situateddiagonally opposite to each other; but as the other two resisters are tobe kept within their proper recesses in the casing, and

' their springs 1t exert a force to keep them out from said recesses, Iallow the free end of their crank-arms k to be pivoted in the ends ofslots of the slotted crank-arms I, which, in turn, are pivoted to onearm of the bell-crank levers l, keyed or otherwise secured on the shaftof the reversing-valve 0, while to the other arms of of said bell-cranklevers are pivoted other slotted crank-arms l, in the slots of which thepivots of the crank-arm k on the shafts of the opcrating-wings a havetheir movable bearings. From the shaft of the reversing-valve c, at oneside of the engine, extends a lever, J, which is connected by a rod, K,to an arm, L, keyed on the shaft of the reversing-valve on the oppositeside. It will be readily understood, by reference to Fig. 2, that as thetendency of the two crank-levers k on the side of the lever J, by reasonof their springs R, is to extend toward the center of the engine andaway from each other, and as it will be equally well understood byreference to Fig. 1 that the upper resister a is held in its recess andits spring R is at its greatest tension while the lower register a isheld against the rotator and its spring R is at its lowest tension, itwill also be understood that the upper slotted crank-lever l is heldagainst the tension of its spring R, its pivot being held in-the utmostend of the slot of said arm I, which latter cannot move on account oflever I, while the lower slotted crank-leverl havin g no tension ofthespring exerted on it beyond its normal condition, its pivot is free tomove in the slot of its slotted lever lwhen its respective resister a isforced toward its recess by means of the incline of wings B. In Figs. 2,3, and 5 are shown standards N rising from the casing A, on whichstandards are formed the hearings, in which a shaft, M, reciprocates,being parallel with the center shaft 0. On this shaft is suitably keyeda balance-beam, I, to the ends of which are pivoted the valve-rods g,which operate the valves d. On this shaft M is alsokeyedanotherbalam:e-bean1,H,\vith downwardly-inclining arms, from theends of which extend wrist pins a, which are alternately engaged bysuitable inverted V-shaped pieces j on the outer ends of arms 1',extending from eccentric disks G G, on the center-shaft 0, one arm, 1',extending upwardly toward each end of the balance-beam H, in such amanner that only one wrist-pin, a, can be engaged by its respectivepieces j at a time. As the shaft 0 revolves the eccentric disks G areoperated also, and their respective arms i receive a circular inclinedalternate motion; but only one being engaged with the balance-beam H,each revolution of the shaft 0 will give one up-and-down movement of thebalancebeam H, and consequently of the balance-beam I, and thus operatethe valves d, one down and one up, to open or close their respectiveparts. To reverse the engine the feed has, of course, to be changed,which is done by changin g the reversing-valves and their connections.This change is efi'ected by means of shifting the position of the leverJ, which is keyed on the shaft of one of the reversing-valves 0, and isconnected to the lever keyed on the shaft of the other reversing-valvec, which shiftin g also effects the change of feed by the followingmeans. To a suitable point on the leverJ is pivoted a connecting-rod, 7,being pivoted at its other end to a pivot of knee-joint levers 1, 2, 3and 5, 6, 8, respectively. the levers 2, 4, and 5 being pivoted on shaftM. It will be seen, by reference to Fig. 2,.t-hat, when the lever J isshifted from the position in which it is represented, the levers 5 and6, which now are in a straight line, will be made to form an angle,thereby elevating their piece j, to which lever 6 is pivoted, out ofcontact with its wristpin a on balance-beam H, while the levers 1 and 2wilLbe brought into a straight line, and thus their piece j is pivotedto lever 1, depressed into contact with its Wrist-pin a, therebyreversing the operation of the balance-beams and valves, and changingthe feed agreeably to the requirements of the attendant. All theselevers being connected to the lever J it will be readily seen that theone-operation of the lever J not only reverses the reversing-valves a,but also changes the feed by changing the operation of the valves d. Asthe lever J can be extended, and, by suitaable connections, be operatedfrom any desirable point, the engines may be reversed from any one ofsaid points. The friction of the eccentric G tends to keep the-arms i,with their pieces j, in and out of contact, as required by the rotationof the engine. The valves (1 are constructed with an opening in theircenter, through which the steam issues into port w and inlet-port b orh, and by which means the friction is correspondingly reduced, therebeing but one part to cover. The reversing-valve c has a larger and asmaller side, on the former face of which the live steam passes, and isso arranged with regard to exhaust-port F, inlet-ports b h, and mainport w, that when the engine is reversed the turning of the inner end ofsaid valve 0 will close the main inlet-port w, cutting off the pressuresteam, and at the same time while the port '10 is closed, opening for amoment exhaust-port F to communicate with the pressure steam yet withinthe case A, thus allowing this remaining pressure steam to escapethrough ex-' haust-port F, thus relieving the pressure from the resistera, and allowing it to recede back into its recess. Thus, no matter howsuddenly the engine is reversed, there will be no re maining pressuresteam to cause any resistance or injury in the reverse movement.

The following is a description of the operation of my improved engine:The parts being in position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the valves dhave just opened the main inletports w, and allow the steam to enter thespaces 1). These spaces b are formed by the recesses of the resisters a,and the inner periphery of the case A, to the rubbing point of the wingB on the outer side, and by the tangential inclined portions of thewings B and the faces of the resisters a on the other side, formingspaces, the outer ends of which present an angle or a wedge-shape. Inthe formation of these spaces, by means of the construction of the wingsB, and the arrangement of the resisters a, gives additional and verygreat advantage to the engine. In rotary-engines, as heretoforeconstructed, the wings on the periphery of the rotator were generallyarranged in a radial line from the center-shaft, or so nearly thereto asto afford no additional advantages on the pressure face presented to thesteam; it being the radial face of the wings between the outer peripheryof the rotator and the inner periphery of the case. But by forming thesespaces 1) it will readily be seen that't he pressure of the steam is notonly exerted on that entire portion of the outer periphery of therotator from the point of contact of the resisters a to the point ofcontact of the packing p o with the inner periphery of the case, butthese spaces being wedge-shaped, as described, the inner periphcries ofthe case and the faces of resisters a all form pressure surfaces fromwhich the steam exerts its momentum .on the wings and plane of therotator, thus furnishing a largely-increased pressure surface presentedfor direct action to the steam, and requiring an equivalent less amountof steam for the same amount of power. But, furthermore, it will beunderstood that, besides the direct pressure on the wings B, the spacesb being wedge-shaped the maximum pressure will be in the direction ofthe dotted lines b, or in other words, in a diametrical line, b, passingthrough the center to the periphery of the rotator, thereby absolutelybalancing all side or lateral friction, and exerting in that directionits greatest power. It must be also remembered that, as the direction ofthe pressure is away from the faces of the resisters a, only suchpressure is exerted on the resisters as to keep them tightly to thesurface of the rotator, as thus the friction of the resisters on thesurface of the rotator will never be such as to counteract in theslightest degree the pressure of the steam, it being a slide frictionand not positive or direct one.

To avoid dead-centers in passing the ports, two of these engines are putwith their rotators at right angles to each other on the same shaft andbed, so that there is a continuous pressure on either one or the otherin the direction applied.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination of theresisters a hinged to case A with the wings B, the latter being soconstructed as to allow the former to slide over the circumference ofthe rotator without the wearing-surfaces becoming separated from eachother during the revolution of the rotator, as described.

2. The combination of the eccentric disks G, their arms 2 and pieces jwith the balancebeams H I, and valve-rods g, operating sub stantially asand for the purpose described.

3. In combination with the next above,I claim the levers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,6, and 7, Jand L, and connecting-rod K, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

4. The combination of the bell-crank levers I, slotted levers l, andlevers k with the le vers J L, connecting-rod K, springs It, andresisters a, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. A valve d having a central opening over a single port 10, whenconstructed and arranged substantially as described.

6. The arrangement of the reversing-valves c with relation to theexhaust-ports F and main and inlet-ports w b It so as to allow, inreversing, any direct steam to escape through one of the inlets to theexhaust-port before steam is admitted through the other inlet-port, asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 5th day ofOctober, A. D. 1871, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

\V. H. \VARD.

Witnesses:

A. E. H. JOHNSON, ALEXR. A. O. KLAUCKE.

